Thai leader says impact of coal plant to be studied again

BANGKOK – Thailand's prime minister says the government will ensure that environmental and health impact studies for a coal power plant approved by its energy policy planning committee will be reconsidered, but made clear he expects the project to proceed.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said Tuesday that plans for the 800-megawatt coal power plant in the southern province of Krabi would be reevaluated, as sought by protesters from the province, a popular seaside tourist destination. They said the existing assessments did not take into consideration their views about potential pollution.

Prayuth chaired the policy committee, which announced Friday the go-ahead for the long-stalled project. He said Tuesday the plant originally was expected to open by 2022, but redoing the assessments would push the date back by a year or two.